Daughter of the Warrior Queen
by Callisto Wannabe
Summary: Now that Eve is born, Xena thinks her biggest problem is the Gods. But there's a new war lord spreading fire and bloodshed across Greece, and she has a vendetta to fulfill... Rated for vivid fight scenes and pillaging, not to mention language. R&R please.
1. Prologue

Daughter of the Warrior Queen

PROLOGUE

**Sorry it's short! I promise, the chaps will get longer as the story progresses. I am going to dedicate each chapter to one of the actors of Xena and those who answer my questions and Xena riddles correctly. I'll also include hint questions, which have the same answer as the big question itself. If you think you know the answer, PM me and I'll let you know if you're right. If you are, I'll congratulate you and dedicate a chapter to you. **

**First question: who is the mother of my character? (hint question: who is the Warrior Queen?) This one is tricky, and only those who are really, really Xena-smart will know it.**

The sun beat down on the rolling fields of Thessaly as the woman leaned against the stone of the Mountains. A chakram rested in her lap, the golden light reflecting off the steel surface. The ring was inlaid with green gems that cast a green light on the woman's slightly tan face. The day was bright, but, to her, it was dark.

--

"Come one, Argo," Xena tugged on the reins of the golden mare. She neighed softly and pulled on the reins herself. Xena smiled and stopped. "Gabrielle, Joxer! We'll stop here for a rest." Gabrielle, grateful to get off her feet for a while, sat down and leaned against a tree.

"You sure, Xena?" Joxer patted his stomach. "'Cause you know, I could go on all day." Xena shook her head as she untied the strap that held Eve's carrier to her back.

"Yes, I'm sure," She answered, sitting on a rock and undoing the straps of her leather dress and armor. "Besides, it's Eve's feeding time." Joxer collapsed on to a soft patch of grass and was asleep in minutes. _So much for going on all day_, Xena thought as her daughter suckled greedily. A twig breaking caught her ear.

"Why, Xena," A voice said next to her ear. "What are you doing here?" A fist shot up, whacking the person in the face. Still holding Eve, Xena stood and whipped around.

"Ares!" She yelled.

"You rang?" Ares said, his hand covering his bruised nose. His eyes drifted down to her chest, and there they remained.

"What are you doing here?" Xena asked, oblivious in her rage.

"Enjoying the view," Ares answered. Xena gasped and immediately pulled up and re-did her dress and armor. Eve started crying at being denied her nutrients. Xena bounced her in her arms.

"Shhhh, shhhhh," She cooed. "Shhhhh, sweetheart." Ares smiled.

"You would be a great mother," He said. "To _my_ child." Xena snorted in disgust.

"Didn't we already talk about this?" She snarled. "I'm not bearing any child of yours!" Ares shook his handsome head, the cross-earing shaking.

"I'm disappointed, Xena," He said. "I thought you wanted to help people." Gabrielle, waking up, leaped to her feet, her Sai knives out of her boots. She dashed forward, but Xena held out an arm to stop her.

"Don't, Gabrielle," She warned the blond. Gabrielle glared for a moment at Xena before turning back to Ares.

"What do you want, Ares?" She snarled. Ares sucked his teeth in disappointment.

"Now, Gabrielle," He said. "Must I always want something? Can I not just visit you two...or four?" Joxer snored loudly, still asleep, and Eve was crying, pawing at her mother. Xena bounced the baby in her arms, shushing her.

"Get out of here, Ares," She said. Ares took a step toward her.

"Now, Xena," He whined. In a flash, Xena had her chakram out and ready.

"I had three hours of sleep last night," She said, her blue eyes burning. "And you're putting me in a bad mood. Now back off!" She threw the chakram, but Ares disappeared with a sad sigh before it hit him. The weapon bounced off a tree before shooting back in to Xena's hand.

"Wake up Joxer," Xena instructed Gabrielle. "Ready your horse. We're leaving."

--

The mouth of the cavern was huge, with five openings around it, and each opening led to a tunnel, which, in turn, grew into a complicated series of tunnels. Some led to caverns used for storage or for barracks. Some led to more tunnels. This was her keep. Fifty men, twenty women. All under her command. None could stand in her way. Seven villages, looted and now under her control. A stocky, red-haired woman stood beside her.

"Tell me, Athanasia, what you think of our success," The woman looked down at her friend. She was tall, taller than some of her men.

"Our success? Moiro, it is _your_ success," Athanasia responded. "I have only followed you, given you my service when you needed it." Moiro laughed.

"You are much more than that," She said. "You are a good friend." A gust of wind burst across the Thessalian fields, and Moiro's long blond hair whipped across her face.

"I saw a beautiful village today," Athanasia said. "It lay in valley, between two awesome mountains. Flowers grew in every possible place. It is ripe for the looting." Moiro smiled.

"Ready the men and women," She said. "We ride." Athanasia shared her smile. That village would go down in fire and blood today. Her Commander would see to that


	2. Mist and Fire

Daughter of the Warrior Queen

CHAPTER ONE: MIST AND FIRE

**Hello, and thank you for the reviews! No responses yet, so the answer still remains unknown. Well, I won't ask another until this one is answered, sorry! **

**Okay, this chapter is dedicated to Kevin Smith, who died in Beijing, February 2002. Forever thirty-eight, Kevin will always hold a special place in the hearts of all Xena fans as the one and only Ares. We love you, Kev!**

**--**

The woman pleaded with the warrior in black armor for her life and her child's, the five-year-old clutched in her arms. Without a second thought, the warrior stabbed her heart and slit her child's throat.

"No! Stop!" A man cried as his mother was stabbed repeatedly in the back. Moiro smiled at the screams and death throes all around her. Athanasia grabbed both sides of a man's face and jerked his head to the side, rejoicing at the crack of the man's neck breaking. A little boy ran by Moiro. She reached out and grabbed him, holding him in front of her.

"Tell me, child," She whispered in his ear. "What do you see?" The boy looked around.

"I-I...see...d-death," He whispered. Moiro closed her eyes, relishing the sadness in his voice. She took a dagger out of her belt.

"Where are your mother and father?" She asked.

"Dead," The boy said. Moiro showed him the dagger.

"Would you like to join them?" She asked. The little boy nodded and took the dagger. Moiro placed her hands over his and gently guided the dagger to the boy's stomach. The child fell back on to her shoulder. Moiro kissed his cheek and laid him down. She stood up and watched as another warrior dragged a woman out of her house and threw her off her porch. He followed her down and mercilessly kicked her ribs, neck, back, and face.

"Please help me!" A young girl with a sooty face begged her. Moiro smiled at the girl.

"Why should I?" She asked.

"I'll do anything! Anything!" The girl screamed. Moiro regarded the girl for a moment.

"You see that boy?" She gestured to the child she had helped commit suicide. The girl nodded. "I want you to take him out of here and bury him. Then come back and I'll let you live as my servant, and possibly a henchman." The girl nodded.

"What is your name?" Moiro asked her.

"Andromeda," The girl said. _Andromeda_. Moiro nodded.

"You might prove useful," She told her. "Now get to it." The girl lifted the boy's body and pulled him away by his arms.

--

"Xena! Xena, look!" Gabrielle pointed west. Smoke was curling into the sky. Xena saw and started riding toward it, the blond following her. Joxer, having been caught unawares, ran after them, his heavy armor clanking noisily.

"Don't you worry about me!" He yelled after them. "I'm Joxer the Mighty! I can run all day! You go on ahead, I'm fine!" The two women consented and rode hard. Joxer finally stumbled and slowed down, unable to keep running.

"Go...go on...I'm...fine," he gasped. "Whew...why does the sun have to be so hot?...I...I'm so...so tired..."

--

Moiro gazed in satisfaction at the destroyed village. Not a soul still lived. Save the girl. Andromeda.

"Girl! Come here," Moiro yelled to her. Andromeda ran forward. "You will run behind Athanasia's horse. And, to make sure you don't fall behind...Athanasia, lash her hands to the saddle." Athanasia pulled a cord from her saddle bag and tied one end to the saddle horn, grabbed Andromeda's hands, and roughly tied them with the other end. Andromeda could feel the blood draining from her hands. Moiro dug her heels into her horse's sides and rode off.

"Haa!" Athanasia yelled, her arm in the air.

"HAA!" The warriors of Moiro repeated as they rode off, Andromeda trying her best not to fall while running along side a galloping horse.


End file.
